A training, traveling and personal reflection blog featuring international cycling adventures and local running races and bike rides with the random article on knowledge management, traveling and attending meetings at the United Nations

July 03, 2017

In preparing for this month’s ride from Seward to Anchorage and onwards to Mt. Denali, half of my preparation was to build up my core strength (and the other half cycle training each morning). Not all of self-contained cycling is just pushing pedals, but includes all sorts of activities including setting up camp, negotiating the confines of a small lightweight tent, wrestling a bicycle when not riding that is loaded with 28 kg of gear and some off-bike activities this month like hiking on a glacier and whitewater rafting on the Nenana River. One of the things that I had noticed doing other Adventure Cycling trips over the last few years is that the non-bike stuff was sometimes as exhausting (and possibly injury producing) as the riding and that the getting up and down, in and out of the tent took a couple of days to get used to… so, this time, I decided to compliment my cycle training with six weeks of yoga classes.

My “kula” (yoga studio) for the last three years has been Yo Yoga http://www.yoyoganyc.com/ , a really cool yoga studio located at 59th Street and First Avenue in Manhattan, just under the 59th St. Bridge (as in the 59th Street Bridge Song… “slow down, you move too fast, got to make the morning last” by Paul Simon.”) And, for the last six weeks that I have been home in Manhattan (perhaps a new record for this time of year) I’ve been dedicatedly going to class five times a week.

As you can see from the photo above, Yo Yoga has an outdoor deck for classes when the weather is above 20C and in the morning and afternoon/evenings (not full sun, too hot or too cold.) Otherwise classes are held in an indoor studio,

Photos from the Yo Yoga webste

So, today (3 July) was the last of my yoga classes. Almost twenty-five sessions on the mat over the last six weeks! Ready to go tomorrow morning.. off to Anchorage from La Guardia, connecting in Houston!

July 02, 2017

On 4 July 2017, I’m flying from New York to Anchorage to begin a two and a half week adventure cycling self-contained from Seward to Anchorage and joining up with the Adventure Cycling Association “Denali Adventure” group of fourteen cyclists on a ride up to Denali National Park.

In preparation for the event, I’ve been home in New York City, riding almost daily laps of Central Park, building aerobic capacity but I needed a few long days on my Seven Cycles Expat SL. A few weeks ago I contacted Brian Managan, who was leading the Adventure Cycling van-supported ride from Chicago to New York City to ask if I might be able to ride along with his group from Western Pennsylvania through the Appalachian Mountains from State College to Port Jervis. My deal was that I would ride self-contained, not relying on them but camping/staying in the same locations so that if something went wrong, I would have a friendly assist.

On Thursday 22 June, I rented a Hertz car one-way from Midtown Manhattan to the airport in State College and drove about five hours to drop off the car. On arrival I put my bike together and took off in a thunderstorm to ride about 30 km to the KOA Campground where Brian and his group were camped.

On the way, I had a lovely stop in Bellefonte at Good Intent Cider, a lovely Cider Bar where I stopped to avoid some rain showers and had one of those magical encounters while cycle touring. When I walked into the bar and ordered a pint of their Good Charmât and in walked five folks who were from the area and looking for a drink. One of the group asked, “Is that your bike out front?” Come to find out he had ridden across the US on the BikeCentennial route from East to West using Adventure Cycling maps during the summer of 2016, just missing the 40th Anniversary and Montana Cycling Celebration by a couple of days. We all had a good chat and several points of cider before I rode the remaining 10 km to the KOA for a rainy night. (While I was at the Good Intent Cider Bar, I charged my GPS and recorded this segment:

Following a night in the rain, I started my ride in the rain and finished the ride as the rain was letting up in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. At the KOA Steve and Brian had a good laugh getting the Adventure Cycling Van mired in the mud… in their defense the field was dry when they drove in two days before.

The full day ride in the rain was good practice for Alaska, where it could be raining some or most of the time. But, at least, the temperature was up above 20C and so riding wet was not so uncomfortable. I alternated between a light windbreaker and a solid “Showers Pass” rain jacket.

The Adventure Cycling group decided to stay in a motel on Friday night, a good decision since we had packed up in the rain, ridden all day in the rain and the forecast was for rain all night (it did.) So, I also booked at room at the Day’s Inn. It was good to dry out the gear and find a good wine store for a bottle of Pinot Noir from New Zealand to recharge the calories.

On Saturday, 24 June, it was a long, long ride through the mountains. The weather had improved and it was great riding weather, but just a long day. 106 km and 1190 meters of climbing, but some of the pitches were 8-9%, which is a different animal when fully loaded.

On Saturday night, after a long ride, we camped at the Sandy Valley Campground, Not a bad place, if you don’t mind listening to country rock blasting from nearby campsites.

I broke a tent pole setting up my tent:

Luckily, Big Agnes was pretty good about replacing the pole segment, which I received this weekend and replaced in time for the trip to Alaska.

On Sunday, we continued our ride through the mountains across Pennsylvania, descending out of the Appalachians down to the Delaware River in Delaware Water Gap, at the border with New Jersey.

After a long day, I decided to book a cheap motel room in Delaware Water Gap, which was a good decision I think. I was not eating and cooking with the Adventure Cycling group that I was riding with and there were absolutely no restaurants or stores anywhere close to where they were camping across the river in the Delaware River Water Gap State Park.

The Pocono Inn was a dump, but cheap. However there was a barbeque at Apple Pie Cafe in Stroudsburg and I found a cool biker bar (not my kind of bike but I was smart enough not to wear Lycra to get get some beers.) I really liked the Minisink Hotel and highly recommend it as a place to stop to recharge (food and liquids.)

On the final day of riding, I took off early to thank Brian and Steve with the Adventure Cycling group, who were camped about 10 km outside of Stroudsburg. After a quick visit there, I had a bit of a challenge getting about 65 km down the road in time to catch the New Jersey Transit train from Port Jervis that left the station at 11:30 am. This ride was the first time that I had ever ridden through three states in a single day, starting in Pennsylvania, riding through New Jersey and into New York

It was a fast and persistent ride through those final big hills as the route paralleled the Delaware River. But, I made it in time to grab a few beers and a couple of slices before catching the train home.

So, now, Sunday 2 July, just two days before leaving for Alaska, I’ve gotten in my last ride on the Seven, working out the last tweaks before packing it all in the suitcase for the trip.